Today is the last day on the Backbone Fire for Southwest Area Incident Command Team No. 1. On Thursday morning, July 1, management of the fire will be turned back to the local units, a smaller organization that will continue with suppression repair work.
There is a 75% chance of rain Wednesday, June 30. Firefighters will be working the fire’s edge looking for any remaining hot spots and transporting excess supplies and equipment from containment lines to their fire camp. Crews are also finishing chipping debris along the corridor of State Route 260. Firefighters will continue suppression repair work across the fire area.
Acres: 40,855 acres
Percent Containment: 76%
Start Date: June 16, 2021
Cause: Lightning
Origin Location: Approximately 12 miles west of Pine and Strawberry, Arizona
Fuels: Pinyon Juniper, Chaparral, Brush, Grass, Cactus
Personnel Assigned: 319
Public Land Closures: Because of the extreme fire danger, many of the National Forests in Arizona have been closed to protect public health and safety. Please check the website for your specific National Forest for closure notifications.
Road Closures: State Route 260 has reopened between Camp Verde and State Route 87. Motorists are advised to visit https://www.az511.com for current road closures.
Arizona Public Service Co. (APS) is working closely with the agencies responding to wildfires across the state. While there has been some damage to APS infrastructure due to wildfire activity, at this time there are no customers without power because of the fires and disruption in service is not currently anticipated. APS is monitoring fire progress and will coordinate with emergency response agencies in the event there is a need to take power lines out of service to protect firefighters and/or if the fire or smoke impacts electrical infrastructure. Given the unpredictability of fires and weather, APS encourages customers to visit aps.com/outagecenter for tips on how to prepare for an outage, to sign up for outage alerts and to view the APS outage map.
Weather: Temperatures today will range from 84 to 94 degrees and humidity will be higher, ranging from 26 to 36%. Winds this morning will be from the southeast with gusts of 25 mph possible, switching to the southwest in the afternoon.
Evacuations: The communities of Hunt Ranch, Strawberry, and Pine are at “Ready.” Residents and visitors should contact their county or visit https://ein.az.gov/ready-set-go for information regarding evacuation status.
No Drone Zone: A temporary flight restriction remains in place over the Backbone Fire.
Fire Danger Remains Extreme: Please use caution when recreating or working outdoors. Check for fire restrictions or information on fire activity around Arizona at: https://wildlandfire.az.gov/.
